Prepare for Trouble Make it Double
by rhythmeticVagabond
Summary: Charlie Vergier is a budding detective, but will her curiosity cause a devastating domino effect in the lives of her and others? Post game (after Family Ties), Charlie/Marie, twoshot, trigger warning for suicide in the second chapter.


"Hm? ...What's this?"

Curious grey eyes glanced over a glinting bit of metal in the corner of the room in which the entryway to Napoleon's former base of operations stood. With a hesitant step, the girl found herself making her way forward ever so slowly. That... That bit of metal wasn't there when she inspected the area before. Its... Its shiny texture definately would be odd, especially if it had been there for a while, as it would have had to be if it had just blended with the surroundings previously. I mean, who would just leave metal around in Les Invalides? There was seemingly no one else here anyway...

As she reached down for the bit of metal upon reaching arm's length, she heard a noise behind her that made her heart almost stop. Several noises...

Metalic footsteps.

It was a trap.

A simple, shiny distraction to put the young private eye's mind at an unrestful state. Just enough to lure her to inspect. They knew her all too well by this point, she figured. What with her sometimes helping Phantom R during the main case. Of course they'd have time to observe her. To learn her every quirk and habit.

And all that was left to do was let fate have its way.

Before she could say much, or even think of any one word to begin a sentence, she was picked up by a cold, long fingered hand, it almost completely wrapping around her midsection. Damn it, these chevaliers were much larger than she anticipated. Werent they just suits of armor housing men? Oh well... no point in questioning reality, is there? Especially not in the situation she was in.

Before long, she found herself flying through the air. Flying... Flying... Until suddenly she and the far wall met like destined lovers... only blocked by a slab of concrete. As she slid down the rough surface to her knees, she reached a hand up to touch her face. There were definately a few rough scrapes down her cheeks and forehead, and around her nose there was a... Sticky substance...

Ah yes, blood.

It didn't matter to her if her nose were broken or not at the moment, however, as when she turned around, all she saw was the innards of a small, metal tube.

Ah, looks like the big boys brough the big guns out. Almost literally. There _was _one pointing at the general direction of her eye in a rather close proximity.

"I thought we'd told you not to meddle in our business again," came a gruff voice. "You've probably heard all too much."

In a quick defense, the girl threw her hands up. "I... I've heard nothing!"

"Bullshit!" the man shouted, easing the gun closer. "I can't let you simply leave here. You know of the second phase of the plan, and that is an inexcusable ammount of knowledge to leave here with unless its by way of bodybag-!"

And with that, the gun was fired.

But... Instead of feeling a sickening senastion of a ball of metal gliding through her eye socket, only to be met with the imminent face of death mere milliseconds after, she found herself flying once more. This time, however, a shorter distance as she found herself bouncing to a halt near the closest corner.

Someone... had pushed her?

She took a deep breath, glancing back, regretting the simple action as she laid eyes on the scene.

There was little time. So little time. He... He was bleeding out. He was shot. He got shot. He got shot and she couldn't save was blood staining his shirt even as he fell to the ground with a dull thud. The chevaliers were surrounding him. They were bickering and yelling. She could faintly hear him yelling something. She couldn't make it out. Her heart was pounding in her ears.

Finally, she could make out one word.

"Run."

She made it to her feet, legs shakey, eyes wide, leaving her hat behind as well as a shoe as she shook her head, beginning to run for the door before the chevaliers had time to turn and chase her.

As she ran, ran as fast as she could back into the center of the city, back near the constabulary, back near her own house, she could only hear breaking news reports and paper headlines soon to come.

_"Notorious Inspector Vergier - Shot and Killed as Les Invalides."_


End file.
